One of my clients picked up a pretty old Miller "tilt-top" trailer last week for a one off job. But it will probably stay in the fleet so I am wondering about making a few changes to it. My best guess is that it from late 70's early 80's. I am gonna have to post some pics from my phone.
First two questions are: What is this hub/wheel rim set up even called? where can I find components for it? Right now wondering about the studs and clamps (these are duals). And also the hub/bearing cap?
Next question is does anybody know how hard would it be to turn it into a more modern set up? I assume that it is just a new hub and brake drum assembly and dual rims. But, since I don't even know what the rim setup is called... I probably shouldn't assume anything.
Next problem is this spindle seal
So, I was working on the electric brake system this morning. Only one of the four brake drums has a brake tensioner (left front). That one works.... Hooray! Well, it was pretty far out of adjustment. And the configuration of this trailer makes brake adjustment a PITA. It doesn't have axles... More of a walking beam suspension and the bar that the spindles are attached to pretty much obscure the brake adjustment hole. I pulled the right front hub/drum assembly off by taking the spindle nut and removing the dual wheels as a unit. All of the brake components (shoes, springs, brake lever, brake magnet, etc) have just been rolling around in the drum for... I don't know how long. So I am planning on just replacing the entire brake assembly on this spindle as well as the two rear ones. Pretty sure that they are just standard 12 x 2 electric brake units... And I already have them for tomorrow. But this seal (in the pic above) is pretty alien to me. The info in the pic is: TROSTEL F400-244-7.5 I cannot find or cross this. I did find a PDF that lists the seal and these are the specs: Shaft: 2.687 Bore: 4.003 Seal OD: 4.008 Width: .469 Lip mat: F I guess that last is interpreted as "lip material: felt. Maybe that is why I have decided that the trailer is from the late seventies.. When I think of fuzzy materials like felt it suede... I pretty much think disco era. Also, there was an alternative part number (I think) on the chart. A87166. I have not been able to use either set of numbers to find replacements. To be honest, I did not find the specs before I got home and was able to look at PDF on a bigger screen. So my local seal suppliers don't have spec dimensions or alternative part number. I will give them the dimensions tomorrow and seal if they can come up with either a single or double lip spindle seal from that. But just in case they can't.... Thought that I would throw the info up on the forum.
Best I can find is SKF 26975 The rest of that i got nothing.. other then good luck and have fun.
A lot of those old trailer axle parts are unobtainium today. Someone gets a smoking deal on a 50 year old trailer,…… Becomes pain and misery and nobody is happy about it. So much time & effort pissed away. But, I only paid $3k for the trailer and you want $6k to fix the brakes,…..
Dayton wheels. If you can find brake parts etc you’ve got it beat. You can convert those 15” tube type to a 17.5 tubeless rim and tire. If you want to have a go at changing hubs take your inner and outer bearing numbers and do some internet searching. Odds are you’ll find a hub that would work. However, being electric brakes vs air may eliminate a lot of options. If it’s truly a low use I’d fix brakes, find some decent seals and call it good.
All the brake group parts are junk(?), the wheels and tires are obsolete, it may just be simpler to put in two whole axle groups. If the truck they are pulling with is set up for air brake trailer, I would pitch the elec. brakes and just get air brake axles. You would have new tires rims brakes , all with common components. All you are going to save off the old one is the spindles and axle tubes. You would have to fab a little to get the new axles attached to the suspension.
This is what I meant when I said "walking beam" like suspension. The spindles are attached to that bar that pivots right behind the tire you can almost see on the left bottom corner of the picture. So I think air brakes are pretty much not an option.
That looks perfect to me. Thank you.
Other than going from 15" to 17.5", that was pretty much what I was thinking. Thank you for confirming. And especially, thank you for "Dayton wheels".
So the trailer was primarily bought to move a container up the mountain through some rough terrain. Tomorrow I have to figure out how to attach it to the ripper on their D8. After that... It pretty much fills a gap in moving not quite "mini" machines they have. Machines too heavy for the tilt trailer they have for their fleet of 3/4 ton dodges. But just light enough to be silly to move with their tractor tilt deck or lowboy. Deere 331 ctl, Deere 450g, cat 289c, komatsu pc58, etc. I built a dodge 5500 into a dump bed last month for them so that is my target hauler for this trailer. As far as I understand; the container move already pays for the trailer. And the time I put into brakes (and when I get a chance) updating the hubs and wheels is all pretty much good money spent. The trailer itself is pretty sturdy and well built. My only concern is that (for moving equipment) it is a little high for my tastes. I have seen (and have had to deal with) far too many machines that tipped over on trailers because the driver failed to understand "center of gravity". But, since a 550 or 5500 requires the driver to have at least some sort of CDL, its use is limited to (mostly) the least stupid people in the company. And, hey, thanks everyone for your help. I just love this forum.
The way I'm seeing it (and from what I remember of those trailers) there is no actual spring suspension? Worked good off road but a rough riding son of a gun. I'd be leery of pulling that with anything less than a class 6-7 medium duty, maybe even a tandem. IIRC those were pretty short trailers and getting the tongue weight right required pulling the machine way forward. Too much or too little tongue weight on a small truck and bad things happen.
To be honest if they need a d8 to drag that to where they want it with the container I wouldn’t put a lot in it till it makes it back may rip the wheels off and never notice
When I saw what you guys were doing with it I thought that they bought the right trailer to do that, don't even need brakes too! Trailer might come back as a skid